Vehicle.



G. B. AM BLER.

VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED Aueizs. 1917.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

G. B. AMBLER.

VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED 'AUG.23. 191.1.

1,262,904, Patented Apr.16,19l8.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Imam/i0? Gcoszgelhflmblca G. B. AMBLER.

VEHlCLE.

APPLICATION HLED AUG23I1917I 1,262,904, Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- G. B. AMBLER.

VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-23, .1917.

1,262,904. Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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GEORGE B. AMIBLER, OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETT$, ASSIGNOR TO F. A. WHITNEY CARRIAGE COMPANY, OF LEOIVIINSTER, ,MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Paten-tgd A1913 16, 1918.

Application filed August 23, 1917. Serial No. 187,740.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. AMBLER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Leominster, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Vehicles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to vehicles and particularly to light carriages such as are commonly used for infants and invalids. The particular embodiment of the invention here chosen for illustration is a baby carriage or perambulator.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein one form of my inventionis shown and in which Figure 1 is a side view of the carriage in one of its positions of adjustment;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, the body in this instance having been turned end to end as regards Fig. 1, so as to face in the opposite direction;

Fig. 3 is a similar section with the parts in a different position of adjustment;

Fig. 4 is a section on line H of Fig. 3 showing the interior of the carriage in plan. The wheels are omitted from this figure;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the supporting and adjusting mechanism of the carriage superstructure detached;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 .of Fig. 5: and

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 5.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the.

vehicle there shown includes suitable running gear including front wheels 9 and rear.

wheels 11 connected by perches 13. These perches in the'present instance are continued as upward extensions 15 which may be connected by a crossbar 17 (Fig. 2) providing a handle by which vthe vehicle may be moved. The front and rear axles may also be connected by cross braces 19, and from the axles rise suitable springs 21 which support the under frame 23 which may be an open frame bridged by a crossbar 25 which receives a king-bolt 27, by means of which the superstructure of the vehicle is swiveled on the under frame 23.

The superstructure of the vehicle in the present instance includes a body portion denoted generally by the numeral 29 and a v extendedby means of the bows 35 and in Fig. 3 is shown in collapsed position. The bottom ofthe canopy 31 may be connected to the back of the body of the vehicle by a flexible curtain 37 so. that the canopy may be tipped still farther forward than shown, substantially to cover thetop of the body,

the curtain 37 extending in well known manner. g

The superstructure of the carriage may be supported on the under frame 25 through a suitable turntable herein shown (Fig. 5) as comprising side members 39 adapted to rest on the side bars of the underframe and a cross-bar 41 corresponding tothe crossbar of the underframe and receiving the king-bolt. The turntable gear maybe and.

preferably'is of the type shown in my prior Patent, #1,185,161, May 30, 1916, and therefore does not require extensive description in this place. The turn-table permits the body of the vehicle to be adjusted end for endto the two positions indicated respec tively in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the child will either be facing toward the handlebars, as in Fig. 1, or away from them, as in Fig. 2. While the turn-table gear by itself is not novel in the present application, it bears a novel cooperative relationship with certain other features of construction, as will 'more fully appear as the description proceeds.

An important feature of my invention relat-es to the possibility of adjusting the parts of the body so as to form either a seat in which the child-may sit or a reclining support in which hemay lie at full length. Re-

ferring now to Figs. 2 and 3, I will describe in detail the particular form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings which makes this adjustment possible.

Referring first to Fig. 3 in which the body is shown adjusted to a position to hold the child in seated posture, I provide a seat 43 to which are attached the bars 39 of the turn-table frame already referred to, so that the seat is directly supported on the under frame 28, and in this particular form of the invention the rest'of the body is supported mediately from the seat. A back is provided for the seat which, as seen in Fig. l, is pivoted by hinge knuckles e7 adjacent the rear end thereof so that its angular relation to the seat may be altered. Extending from and movable with this back are the side portions 49 of the body which extend along the sides of the seat andha-ve portions extending forwardly thereof and which, in cooperation with a bottom part 51, extending between the ends of the forward extensions, provide a foot receiving well for the child seated on the seat 43. The. construction will be readily understood from inspection of Fig. 3. I also provide member 53 pivoted in knuckles 5st (Fig. 4) at the front end of the seat which for convenience I shall call a riser because its situation is analogous to the riser of astair, at least when theparts are in the position shown in Fig. 3.

In the present form of the invention the parts will tend to assume, under gravity, the position shown in Fig. 3', since the major portion of the body, by which term I refer to the back 45, sides 49 and front 51, is forward of the pivotal supporting connection therefor at the back of the seat 43. Suitable stop means may be provided to limit movement of the body about its pivot in a counhog-seat. 43, as-indicated Fig. 2, so as to form I ter-clockwise direction viewing Figs. 2 and 3.

Herein (see Figs. 2, 3 and 6) a pair of pivoted links 56 and 55 are provided at either side of the vehicle extending between the bottom of the seat Q3 and bars 57; secured at the lower edges of side parts 49. The toggle-like opening and closing of these links as seen by comparison of Figs. 2 and 3, permits swinging of the body. in the pres ent instance the upper link 56 has an offset 59 adapted, as seen in Fig. 2, to engage the side of link 55 as the body eomesto the post tion shown in that figure and thus to keep the body in that position of adjustment.

Referring now to Fig. 2 and contrasting it with Fig. 3, l have there shown the carriage in'another position of adjustment in which a reclining support is provided for the occupant. his adjustment in the present instance is etlected by pushing downward the back 45 of the vehicle or lifting the front or dash 51 thereof, so as to tilt the back to a Wide angle with the seat 4-8. It will be understood that when this is done the sides 49 will also be swung upwardly about the supporting pivots of the body. Means are also provided for closing ofi the well at the front of the body and herein this is done automatically when the body is swung upwardly, and in particular the riser 53 is' lifted approximately into the plane of the in cotiperation wit the seat and back 15, a reclining support for the infant, it being ipported in this position by the well forming parts of the body, that is, the forward extensions of the sides and the bottom piece 51. i

In the present embodiment of the invention the forwardly extending side portions of sides 49 provide means movable with the back of the body for lifting the riser 53 into position and supporting it, and herein these parts are provided with curved guideways 61 adapted to engage the riser, conveniently through the medium of small wheels 62 mounted on the latter to diminish friction. As will be clearly understood from comparison of Figs 2 and 3, when the body is tilted the riser 53 will be lifted, the wheels rolling along the guideways 61, and brought into the position shown in Fig. 2.

Suitable means are provided for retaining the parts in the position shown in Fig.2 an I shall next describe the particular form taken by these means in the present embodiment of the invention. For this purpose (see Figs. 3 and 6) catches 63 in the form of notched plates may be attached to the lower side portions of the body, herein being mounted on the bars 57, previously referred to. These catches are adapted to co operate with loops 65 (Fig. 7.) which may be formed on a pair of links 6? pivoted centrally at 69 to the bottom of the seat and having outer ends guided in straps 71. The position of these parts will be clearly understood from Fig. 5 which shows the fittings at the bottom of the carriage superstructure as they would appear if independently assembled in the same relative'positions as:

the observer in F ig. .7) by means of links;

73 pivoted thereto outwardly from the pivot 69 and connected to an operating bar 'E5 which is supported and guided by a strap 7? and is normally pulled in the direction. indicated by a spring 79.

Referring now to Figs. 2 body is swung from the position shown in Fig. 3, thetop of the catch. 63 will ride along the edge of the loop 65, force the same backwardly against the tension of the spring and permit it to snap into position in the notch as shown in Figs. 2 and 6.- When it is desired to release the holding meansto permit the carriage to return to the sitting position shown in Fig. 3, the loops 65 may be disen gaged from the catcl cs 63. This is accomplishedin the present construction by drawing rearwardly on thebar 75 against the tension of the spring 79, and to permit this the bar is provided. with a suitabl handle or loop 81, as indicated inFig. is

conveniently situated atthe outer edge of the seat 43. Vhen the bar 75 is drawn to the right, viewing Fig. 5, by means of the handle, the links 7 3 will rock the links 67 to the right about the pivot 69 and thus draw the loops 65 out of the notches 63, and the body may then be returned to the position of Fig. 3 under gravity.

It will be noted by referring to Fig. 3 that in the normal position ofv the parts the body is suspended between the pairs of wheels and thus large wheels can be used without unduly elevating the body and in particular large rear wheels 11. The use of large wheels on the rear axle is an advantage since it permits the carriage to be easily drawn backward up a flight of steps or it facilitates lifting the carriage over a curbstone after the front wheels'have been raised thereon. Hitherto, as far as I am aware, in carriages which could be turned end for end, for example from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, the whole superstructure of the carriage had been placed above the level of the wheels and consequently very small wheels were necessary. In the present embodiment of the invention, as seen in Fig. 3, the seat 43 may be mounted above the level of the wheels and the body suspended therefrom between the wheels when the parts are in the position to allow the child to sit. If it is desired to reverse the parts, it is simply necessary to tilt the body to or toward the position of Fig. 2, when the forward end will be lifted clear of either set of wheels, as seen from Figs. 2 and 1, and it may then be turned end for end and if desired lowered again to sitting position when thus reversed.

l/Vhile only three positions of adjustment are shown in the present drawings, it will be understood that there are in fact four.

First, the infant may be in a sitting posture and faclng forwardly, this being the posireclines but faces toward the rear or toward his attendant. Fourth, the carriage can also be brought to a position not illustrated in which the body is upright, as in Fig. 3, and the infant sits, but is faced toward the rear as in Fig. 1.

I have described in considerable detail the particular form of my invention chosen as an example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood,

however, that I have done so with a descriptive rather than a definitive intent and that v ing a back for the seat, sides extending over the sides of-the seat and extending 'forwardly thereof, a front cooperating with the forwardly extending parts of said sides to provide a foot well, said body being movable-as awhole about its pivotal axis to change the relation of the back to the seat, and a riser at the front of the seat engaging the foot well to be lifted thereby when it "is swung'upwardly in the movement of said body to form in cooperation with the seat and back a reclining support.

2. In a vehicle, running gear, a seat supported thereby, a body including sides pivoted thereto and having parts extending forwardly thereof to provide a foot well, and a riser pivoted at the front of said seat and engaged with said sides to be tilted thereby into the approximate plane of the seat when the back of the body is swung downwardly.

3. In a vehicle, running gear, a seat supported thereby, a body including sides pivoted thereto and having parts extending forwardly thereof to provide a' foot well, curved guideways on said forwardly extending parts, and a riser at the front of said seat having portions engaging said guideways whereby it will be tilted to form in cooperation with the seat a reclining support when the body is tilted to elevate said forwardly extending parts.

4. In a vehicle, running gear, a seat supported thereby, a body pivoted thereto having a back for the seat, sides extending over the sides of the seat and extending forwardly thereof, a front cooperating with the forwardly extending parts of said sides to provide a foot well, said body being movable as a whole about its pivotal axis to change the relation of the back to the seat, a catch to hold the body with back clepressed, and means to close 0d the foot well when the body is in that position.

5. In a vehicle, running gear, a seat supported thereby, a body pivoted thereto having a back for the seat, sides extending over the sides of the seat and extending forwardly thereof, a front cooperating with the forwardly extending parts of said sides to provide a foot well, said body being movable as a whole about its pivotal axis to change the relation of the back to the seat, and a movable riser at the front of the seat adapted to be extended into the approxi mate plane thereof to be supportedin that position by the Well: forming partsv of the body when theback is depressed.

. i 7.111 combination, a seat and back providing a support for a person 1n erect Slir.

ting posture, and adjustable about a horiontal axis to permit a reclining attitude, and means moved by such adjustment into position to provide a. foot and leg support forwardly of the seat.

@epzleu ot this Patent maybe obtained for 8. In a vehicle, an underframe having wheels, a seat swivel'ed on the underfralne above the tops of the Wheels, and a body pivoted to the seat'and suspended between the wheels, which body may be tipped on its pivot to clear the Wheels and permit end to end adjustment.

9. In a vehicle, a Wheeled underframe, a

turntable swiveled on the underf'rame, and

a bodypivoted to said turntable on a horiontal line above the tops of the Wheels and having portions suspended from said pivot between thewheels.

In testimony whereof, I have signed 'my name to this specification.

GEORGE B. AMBLEn.

five cents eeeh, by addressing the Gommissioner oi Patents,

Washington, D. G, 

